Lemon Muffins Recipe
These delicious lemon muffins make a perfect, take-along snack!
A Facebook fan recently asked me if I could come up with a recipe for Lemon Blueberry Muffins.
Since I already had a Blueberry Corn Muffin recipe, I figured I would try a lemon muffin and really focus on the lemon flavor. The thing is, when you bake with whole grains, flavors like lemon can be difficult to really bring to the forefront (at least for me). So this was a major point of focus for me.
If you like the idea of adding blueberries, feel free to do so. It would certainly be tasty!
More Healthy Muffin Recipes
Lemon Muffins Recipe Card
Lemon Muffins
A delicious snack that travels well!
Print
Pin
Rate
Add to Collection
Servings: 20 muffins (approximate)
Calories: 104kcal
Equipment
- 1 Standard muffin pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (affiliate link)
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup milk (use only ½ cup if you are adding frozen fruit like blueberries. Non-dairy milks worsk too)
- 2 tsp. lemon extract
- ¼ cup lemon zest (freshly grated is best)
- ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ½ cup blueberries (optional)
Instructions
- If you use fresh fruit, don't make any adjustments. Just add the fruit. However, if you are using frozen fruit, reduce the milk by ¼ cup.
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Line your muffin tin with cupcake papers or spray the tin with an olive oil mister.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together your flour and baking soda.
- In a large mixing bowl, blend the rest of the ingredients using a whisk.
- Add the flour to the wet ingredients a little at a time, whisking as you go.
- Pour into your muffin tin. Fill up the cups only half way.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Notes
Please note that the nutrition data below is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.
Nutrition
Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 0.6mg
If you put a pan of hot water on the bottom rack while your muffins are baking, they will have the nice high round top that make the store bought muffins look so appealing.
Adrienne – Thank you! I’ve heard that before but have never tried it. I’ll give it a shot next time. Thanks again!
These muffins look delicious. My favorite muffin flavor… hmm, that’s so hard to say! but right now a banana muffin sounds wonderful.
Roxan – Here’s the recipe! https://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-banana-muffins/
Mmmm. I was just thinking banana muffins would be good to make today. Thanks again for the link, Tiffany.
My favorite muffins are bran muffins:
Preheat oven to 350F
In a large bowl mix together:
1 1/2 cups of bran (wheat bran, oat bran or a combo-not bran flakes)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
In a separate bowl or large measuring cup (2 cups or larger)
mix together:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup molasses (honey or agave will also work, but change the flavor a lot)
1 cup milk or unsweetened Silk
1 egg lightly beaten (or 2 egg whites or EnerG egg substitute)
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and mix lightly, just until everything is moistened.
Put cupcake papers in muffin tins or spray with olive oil.
Fill cups about 2/3 full (I use an ice cream scoop!)
Bake about 20 minutes or until tops spring back when touched lightly or toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
These are not excessively sweet. They make a nice breakfast.
Jodi – Yum! I’ll have to try that! Thanks!
Can never have enough good muffin recipes. I tried this one to day and its a keeper.
Charlie – That’s great! So glad you enjoyed them!
Love a good muffin Tif 🙂 We’re heading off on a road trip tomorrow morning & I’m doing a spot of baking for the trip…, what’s not to like with this recipe. So, thanks 🙂
Anna – You’re very welcome! Have a great trip!
I love lemon in anything! These sound so yummy
Aly – Thanks! I bet you’ll love them!
My favorites were pear muffins from a now-defunct coffee shop in Seal Beach. I think I’ll try to create them using your kiwi muffin recipe as a template!
Molly – That would probably work really well! Let me know how they turn out. I may have to try that too. Sounds yummy!
I just found your website and I am so excited to start exploring. It is just what I am looking for. I just started my clean eating journey so this information is great! Thanks for the time you put into it.
Heidi – Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes!
Well, these are the muffins I actually made that day:
Banana Oatmeal muffins
Mix in large bowl:
1 cup Oatmeal (rolled oats)
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
In smaller bowl:
2 bananas mashed with a fork
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup milk (or unsweetened Silk)
1 egg (or 2 egg whites or egg substitute)
Mix liquid ingredients lightly into dry ingredients.
Bake in muffin papers about 25 minutes at 350F
They were YUMMY!
Jodi – Fantastic! Thank you!
Those are simple but delicious. My kids love to put some toppings on plain delicious cupcakes. I will try this Clean Eating Lemon Muffins. My favorite muffin flavored is corn flavor. It tastes really sweet and delicious especially with vanilla frosting.
Rose – You would love my Elvis muffins! Here’s the recipe: https://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-blueberry-corn-muffins/
This one is great! Lemon for a change coz I am sick of chocolates and pumpkin cupcakes. Lemon and corn are on my mind for some weekend baking activity with my kids. Chocolate syrups are great to add more sweets on the cupcakes. Thanks for the recipe.
Melanie – If you like corn muffins, I have a great recipe for corn/blueberry muffins here as well. Enjoy!
Delicious! Thank you for this great recipe. I used agave and threw in some frozen raspberries. Yum!
MK – Y.U.M.!!!
Outstanding recipe! I eliminated the oil and substituted applesauce. Cut the lemon out and used frozen blueberries. Wow. These are fantastic and at about 95 calories each, can’t beat it! Good addition to a clean breakfast!
Jamie – Fantastic! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Can I use whole wheat flour or do I have to use pastry flour?
Thanks!
Amy – Whole wheat flour will work, but the muffins will be a lot more coarse in texture.
I’m back again to say this has become the go-to muffin recipe in my house! I can’t crank them out fast enough, we love them! Thanks so much!!
MK – Ha! That’s fantastic! I just got a request for my banana muffins at school today. You should try the kiwi muffins too. Delish!
One of my favorite muffins is cranberry-lemon, so I’m going to try this with cranberries!
Natalie – OooohhMG!!! That sounds so incredible! I might have to try that as well. LOL. It’ll be good stress relief during finals! Great idea!
I have everything I need to make these except lemon zest. Do you think it’d be okay to just add an extra teaspoon of lemon oil? Or any other suggestions?
p.s. I just started clean eating this week and I LOVE your website, thank you so much for posting these recipes!
Jen – It will work, but it won’t have the same “true” lemon flavor that the zest provides. I’m sure they would still be good though!
ooh… how about forgetting the blueberries and adding poppy seeds? I LOVE lemon poppy seed bread/muffins….
Kris – That works too! Enjoy!
These are great. I also made them with just regular whole wheat flour. Any ideas where the best place that carries the pastry variety? Whole foods?
Kathy – Yes, I get mine at Whole Foods in the bulk section.
Tiffany, do you think they’d maintain their taste and bake up OK if I added in some old fashioned oats for heartiness OR a little vanilla whey protein powder for sticking power? Just thinking about some fun tinkering…thanks and LOVE your blog! My new go-to for recipes.
Michelle – Thanks! I’m happy you’re enjoying my recipes! Yes, you can put oats or whey in, but you will have to reduce the flour, otherwise they will be too dry. Let me know how they turn out!